So
I ran to my room, checked my computer for the flight time,
yes it was what I dreaded would be, threw all of my stuff
together into the suitcases, thinking all the time there
was a two hour check-in time before the flight, it was
now 2215, when I got downstairs the Lufthansa crew had
gone, I got them to rush my check out through, they did
not know the meaning of rush, but they did order me a
taxi, then put my suitcases into it, so they were a little
organised, I got into the taxi at 2238 and told the taxi
driver rush, rush, he made some comment about speed cameras,
but I will give that to him he did rush. We made to the
airport at 2300 hrs, and Lufthansa crew was just going
in at that point, pushed my bags through the x-ray, did
not lose my wallet, and got to the check-in before the
40 minute cutoff before the flight time.

Then
it was through security, customs, passport control, and
on to the gate, where I had to cool my heels for 30 minutes,
what an anticlimax.

Monday
24 May technically still Muscat.

So
was onto the plane and a 40 minute flight, and I may have
got 20 minutes sleep, off at Dubai, and as it had been
having very similar weather to Muscat, temperatures in
the high forties, I decided I could do with out that and
would fly on to Cairo, if I could get a seat on the Singapore
airlines flight. My travel agent in New Zealand had told
me that this particular flight was packed full and there
was no way they could get me a seat.

So
was through passport control, connect my luggage, through
customs, out of the terminal, walked several hundred metres,
in the heat, at 1:30 a.m., into departure, through security
number one, to the check-in, no problems for a seat, in
fact when I got on the plane, business class was only
three quarters full, so there were miles of seats.

Up
to the business lounge, relaxed a little bit, the plane
was running about an hour late, so eventually onto the
plane, a three-hour flight, hopefully I slept for two,
so off the plane again this time in Cairo, purchased a
Visa for $US15 this came in the form of two small postage
type stamps which you had to stick on an empty page of
your passport, then through passport control, my passport
is getting a little worn and security each time is studying
a passport photo thinking it is a replacement photo, roll
on America, hope they have a warm cell for me, to baggage,
through customs and now the fight on the taxi rank.

They
seem to be about 24 taxi drivers wanting to take me on
to Cairo, I compared prices, took the second lowest one,
and was on to my hotel, except when I got to the hotel,
I did not like the look of it, it was booked on the Internet
for $US43, so I taxi driver took me on to another three
hotels, and I'm in the third hotel called new Garden Palace,
at $US24. No it's not the Hilton, but it seems to be quite
adequate for what I want a hotel for, which is sleeping
and showering.

So
by nine o'clock I was in my room, went up to have breakfast,
about that time a tour operator arrived, and by the time
I'd listen to his spiel it is going on to 10 o'clock,
and as I saw it approaching 10, I took two sleeping pills,
and told him he had 15 minutes.

They
want me to pay for the four day's tour that he suggested
I take, I said I will pay for Tuesday, then went off to
bed, woke up at 3 a.m. Tuesday morning. Yes it was a good
sleep.

Tuesday
25 May Cairo

Today
was my tour around Cairo, the driver was 10 minutes late,
driving a Lada, with an air-conditioner fitted, can just
in case you get excited, the car was at least 10 years
old, and looked it. So was off to the Coptic area of Cairo,
checked out the churches, there was one where Jesus and
his parents are reputed to have hidden for six months,
in the crypt underneath the church. No photographs allowed,
the church was very rundown, and so were the other two
that I looked at, all of the Coptic religion, and then
the Jewish Synagogue, before I could enter that one, I
was checked over with a metal detector, it needed some
financial help as well, there are police on guard everywhere,
one of them with his broken English was trying to direct
me to various areas, and I went off in these directions
to see what was there, in the end I gave up and had started
heading back to the car, and his police officer, as I
walked past him, said tip, tip. I kept on walking.

Back
to the car, through muslin area, lots of mosques, the
driver said Cairo was the city of a million minuet's.
Wearing boots and knowing you had to take your footwear
off, and having seen many mosques before, I elected not
to bother on this occasion. So was a round and round Cairo,
I walked through many areas, and eventually by 12 o'clock,
the driver had run out of locations, so he said we will
go to Giza.

That
was okay by me because that was my tour for tomorrow,
and here I was going to get two tours for the price of
one. So it was not very many minutes drive, and we were
in the city of Giza. Stopped at one restaurant, recommended
by the driver, no they did not have a European menu, so
I went out back to the car, commented to the driver, he
says this is Egypt, why would they have a English menu?
I commented that in Hong Kong, in a very backstreet restaurant,
where we were placed near the back of the restaurant,
they had an English menu, but I said of course the Chinese
want to do business.

We
had passed a Pizza Hut, so in desperation, I said take
me to a Pizza Hut. He took me instead to a Egyptian art
gallery, that sold Egyptian art of the Pharaoh dateline,
and a salesman was very helpful and wanted to tell me
how the paper was made, I told him I had seen the manufacture,
he then went on to tell me how each painting had a number
in the price in Egyptian pounds. He had a piece of paper
that I could make a note of which Painting number and
how much it was, and I told him I would not need that.

However
he did follow me around with this piece of paper to make
notes of all of the paintings I wanted, and when I got
sick of him following me around, I told them I was not
going to order any, which I had already told him, this
time he went away, and about four minutes after entering
the shop, I was ready to depart, he stopped me at door,
and asked the which ones did I want, I said none, he was
dumbfounded, that somebody could depart these premises
without a valuable piece of art, that was reduced by 50%,
was beyond him.

So
was back into the car, and on the way to Pizza Hut. We
got to Pizza Hut, and low and behold it was right opposite
the Sphinx and the three Pyramids of Giza. Upstairs to
Pizza Hut, sat down at the table to panorama view of the
Giza scenery, famous worldwide. My waiter took me up onto
the roof for better view of the Pyramids, and kept on
telling me, that I would need to give him a good tip.
I ignored the comment.

After
finishing the meal, which filled the space required, I
asked for the account, and told the waiter that a tip
was for exceptional service, at the discretion of the
diner, and where one was asked for, often the person doing
the asking, missed out completely, but in this case I
left him the smallest domination note I had, which was
equal to about $US0.12c which in reflection was probably
a fraction high.

It
was then back to the car, the driver told me that I could
hire a camel for £E150 and that would give me an
hour and a half. Having been on a camel several times
before, I did not exactly rush to accept the very generous
offer, and asked him instead, can we not driver around
the Pyramids? He said we had to leave the car here to
go in! I said where are the all those other cars going
that I have seen? He said they go in a different entrance!
I said could we not go there? He said yes, and proceeded
to drive in that direction.

It
was a very short distance, I paid the $US3 to get the
car and myself in, and he proceeded to drive to the distant
location were all camels were, parked, and I proceeded
to walked past all the touts who wanted into place me
on a camel, to area where I could get the three Pyramids
in a line. It was very interesting how the city of Cairo
has expanded so that it is right in the background of
the Pyramids, and when I see this I'm a little bit more
sympathetic to the Department in New Zealand that made
the Lord of the rings film crew pulldown all of the villages
that they had built for the film.

Spent
quite a lot of time in and around this area, observed
all of the tourists getting up on camel's to have their
photograph taken, once that was done, getting off, which
they were not terribly excited about the motion the camel
goes through to get down.

I
got some interesting pictures of the Pyramids, did not
bother going inside any, recalled one of the mosques I
was shown, that had used the covering stone from one of
the Pyramids to build the mosque and I thought what a
pity.

Eventually
it was time to go back to the hotel and the driver felt
every other driver in Cairo was out to get in his way,
or obstruct them in some way, and his driving was very
interesting, but not for the fainthearted, although he
would need a lot of practice to be able to drive in Karachi.

Back
at the hotel, he was looking for tomorrow's fee, seeing
he took me to Giza today, and of course I had news for
him.

Wednesday
26 May Cairo

Today
I had booked to go to Alexandria with a pickup at eight
o'clock, of course he was working on Egyptian time which
meant he arrived at 15 minutes past. My driver was supposed
to be English-speaking, well the English he spoke was
like none either ever heard in my life. I told him I want
to go by the Delta and back by the desert, that I wanted
to take photographs and for him to stop when I said stop.

He
said you wanted buy film? At that point I knew I was in
trouble, but I thought let us give it a go! We got underway
in eventually I saw him taking the road to Alexandria
by the desert, after the second sign I asked are we going
via the desert, he said yes, I said I want to go via the
Delta, he said something I've no idea what it was in So
we went backwards and forwards a little bit like a comedy
act for a while, in the end I said take me back to the
hotel.

Back
at the hotel I complained to management and anybody else
that would listen, they gave me a total refund, the driver
was still hanging around eventually when I went up to
my room, I'm not quite sure what he was waiting for, after
that I came down told the manager I wanted to go to Alexandria
tomorrow and he proceeded to organise it for me, so tomorrow
morning at eight o'clock we try again, but I won't be
up to go via the Delta, what the driver was trying to
tell me was that the tourists are not allowed to go that
way, I guess there must be extremists there for that route
to be banned. Hopefully tomorrow's driver will speak some
sort of English they can be understood .

Evidently
I am 15 minutes walk from the Egyptian Museum, so I went
along there camera in hand, and of course they would not
let me in with the camera, I did not feel like checking
it in to the baggage and area, so after a little hassle
I got a refund has started to proceed back to the hotel.
As I left one of the guide's told me that was quite safe
to leave at in the check-in area, he said there they are
very honest! Like everywhere else they are not!

It
was a good walked back to the hotel, I needed some exercise,
I bought a couple of magazines Time and Newsweek so that
allowed me to catch up with the latest events in America!

Yesterday
at Pizza Hut I was talking to a American couple from Florida
and they commented that an American on tour in Egypt has
a car with guards in preceding the bus, and two armed
guards onboard with Uzis. I'm not sure if that would make
me happy or worry me!

After
reading the two magazines and thinking a bit as to what
I was doing I decided to fly out in the next couple of
days, but that time I have seen the main highlights, and
considering every country I've been in since leaving New
Zealand, has had people on the make, looking for tips,
and doing the best part you from your money, it will be
good to return to the West where things are less blatant.

The
manager told me he would get Lufthansa on the telephone
and put it through to my room, after about 90 minutes
I decided that it would be probably better for me to visit
their office than grow old waiting for the phone call.
I went downstairs and asked where the office was in the
told me near the Egyptian Museum, so I thought good that
will kill two birds with one stone, so I went back minus
cameras, looking for a reasonable Egyptian restaurant
on the way back, they were all very grubby affairs, nothing
like Turkey where you felt you could enter without catching
the plague or something as equally interesting.

That
is probably why American fast food restaurants do so well
in these countries that are not too fussed on hygiene.
So was into the good old Colonel for lunch, then on to
the Museum, it is very interesting, the entrance fee was
20 Egyptian pounds, when you got in and upstairs you could
visit the Mummy room for an extra 40 Egyptian pounds.
I did a walk-through has a normally do when I find things
of marginal interest, the culture was so alien that I
found I could not relate to it at all, so all of the artefacts
and other exhibits were interesting to see but I found
them not relevant enough to study.

A
lot of the exhibits, like the plough, and other household
implements are common in many cultures, perhaps they originated
here, but they were nothing new! All of the Mummy caskets
were interesting with their painting but you would in
needed an expert to explain what it was all about. There
are lots of students there copying the designs that are
on the caskets.

One
of the guards on duty, asked me if I had a pen I could
give to him, I said no, and when I passed him again he
tried to cadge a cigarette. Yes it is time I left the
city, so after 60 minutes of rapid walking through the
Museum, I left the Museum and then looked for a taxi to
take me to Lufthansa which was some distance away.

The
first taxi wanted 20 pounds, and when I walked away he
reduced it to 10, I kept on walking, another taxi pulled
in, I asked him how much, he said 10 so I climbed in.
He insisted on waiting whilst I was in the office, and
I could feel a con coming on, I went in and changed the
flight for Saturday, there were no problems, came out
and he took me back to the hotel, I gave him 20 pounds,
which was two 10 pound fares, of course he wanted 25!
I just walked into the hotel, and eventually he drove
away.

Tonight
for dinner I walked back towards the Museum in this time
visited Pizza Hut, was interesting watching the women
that were there, there were three say 18-year-olds, sitting
at the next table, they were dressed as anyone in the
West would be, they were talking 90 to that dozen, there
were two dressed as conservative muslins, and they had
good ability at talking, the people serving, were all
men in their twenties, the one the serving me brought
me my Diet Coke with the straw in his hand, which I tossed
onto the table when he put into the glass, it was interesting
when I ordered the next Diet Coke, he brought me the straw
wrapped in a table napkin, for all good that did, I saw
them replenishing their supply of straws, and he picked
up a bundle of his hand, put them in the bin, and when
they would not quite fit, padded them with his hand until
they all fitted in nicely.

It
was interesting this afternoon following a European girl,
who was holding hands with her boyfriend, walking down
the street, she had high heel wedged shoes on, a minidress,
a mesh top on, and had more skin showing probably that
all of the girls in Cairo, it is interesting to watch
the muslin men watch her as she went past, and also interesting
to watch the muslin woman turned and looked at her!

As
you walk about the city, the amount of police all heavily
armed makes you realise, that the whole Middle East is
a powder keg just waiting for somebody to light the fuse.
Tonight I saw several with Uzis, once on the outside of
the fence had two magazines and bolted together, the one
on the inside of the fence only had one magazine. I saw
one armed guard standing at a gate with a helmet on that
looked too large for him, he appeared to be peering from
underneath it, he had body armour on and automatic rifle,
it wasn't all so serious when he would have looked funny.

At
the Museum, you went through two lots of security, with
x-ray and metal detectors, armed guard standing about,
one had a metal shield on wheels, I assume it was reasonably
bulletproof, another guard was busy putting on his body
armour, and he laid down his gun beside him, so with thinking
like that he probably needed the body armour.

Thursday
27 May Cairo Airport
This morning I was supposed to be collected to go to Alexandria
for the day, of course right on form he did not show up,
they could not give any reason just shrugged their shoulders,
of course that sort of performance I detest, I detest
all of this haggling that goes with every transaction,
I dislike all of the things they try to do just to get
a tip a few seconds later, NO I am NOT shifting to the
middle east, of course it would be OK if there was someone
in your employ to deal with this unusual way of life,
but the dirt and rubbish and lack of hygiene would eventually
wear you down.

I
looked at the people who built the pyramids the Pharoahs
the race of people the Egyptians claim they are descended
from and find it hard to see any trace of the people who
built all these wonders of the world, if they were I wonder
who gave them the tips for the tasks!!!

One
of my tour guides told me he was descendant from the people
that built the Pyramids and he went on to add he was an
Arab. Reading one of the books I bought it appears that
the average Egyptians is an actual fact an Arab, and the
people who are the original race where the founders of
the Coptic church who are probably the descendants of
the Pharoah's but who knows.

YES
I let the bastards wear me down, and decided to exit this
country today after this latest mess up this morning,
so I took a taxi, after haggling about the bloody fare,
he wanted to wait and charge me £5 for waiting time,
I tell you it never stops, off to Lufthansa and thank
goodness they had a seat, back to the hotel, went for
a bit of a walk and thought why bother so back to the
hotel collected my bags and my trusted friend took me
out to the airport, on the way out he assured me he was
a business executive who had two days off and he used
his car to make extra money!!!!

At
the airport on the kerb there were a swarm of flies, so
it was inside SAP were there were still flies but not
quite as many. There was a two hour wait, but three magazines
helped to pass the time, then thro security, wait again
for check-in to open, when it did the officer collected
me and took me to the first class check-in with the comment
that I had been there since 1pm., then of course the computer
terminal was not working so that worked out as a 15 minute
performance.

Uneventful
flight to Frankfurt, however when we got there is as if
Egypt had followed us, and the normal efficient Germans
slipped up, the door at the end of the Skyway was locked
and no one could open it, so after about 15 minutes we
were directed through another door on to bus and taken
to the arrival terminal in that manner.

The
flight to Warsaw had departed, the airport Sheraton hotel
was 225, which was just too much so I went to Mariiott
courtyard which was a few minutes away by courtesy bus
and 95. Only problem is the seven o'clock bus in
the morning is full so I have to take the 6 a.m. bus.
But that is part of the joys of travel.